


Unfinished Business

by DualWieldingCousland (DualWieldingMama)



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Anders Dies, Anders death, F/M, Gen, Just repeating myself here, just in case ...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 10:52:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4561800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DualWieldingMama/pseuds/DualWieldingCousland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Chantry is gone.  Kirkwall is just attempting to rebuild.  Vicountess Ruari Hawke is still trying to figure out how to tell the King and Queen of Ferelden that the Queen's friend blew up the Chantry, killing hundreds.  She doesn't expect to be dragged on another adventure.  But it's to find and deal with Anders, and she'll have interesting company</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in not long after finishing my canon playthrough of Dragon Age 2 (sometime in late 2011 or early 2012; I forget exactly when I finished it – I was dealing with a newborn spawn at the time, so my focus wasn’t entirely on the game) and remained largely untouched until now. Some things contained within may not fit with what we currently know about templar abilities, lyrium or Bioware-canon timelines, or anything else for that matter. I may go back and rewrite this to tie things into the current lore better; I may not. I haven’t decided. 
> 
> Those who like Anders and dislike templars, be warned. For my canon playthrough of DA2, Ruari Hawke sided with the templars. While the game required Anders’ death to keep on Sebastian’s good side, I prefer to headcanon that Ruari was able to convince him not to attack Kirkwall when she let Anders live, promising to give him a very public trial (and she was confident it would lead to his execution, because … hello, he blew up the Chantry) once the more immediate issue of rampaging mages and an insane Meredith was dealt with.
> 
> My personal views on mages and templars and Anders play no part in this story. This story deals with my characters’ opinions of these matters. I will not tolerate hateful comments because someone does not agree with how fictional characters deal with this fictional situation. If you wish to have an adult conversation about these things, by all means, we can do so.

Ruari sighed and slumped in the chair facing her writing desk. This was going to be the hardest letter she’d ever written; even harder than the letter she and Gamlen had written to inform Bethany that their mother had been killed. Back then, the only thing she had to fear was her sister blaming her, like her uncle did, for not protecting Leandra better. But now, she not only had to worry about everyone in Kirkwall blaming her for something her companion, an apostate, had done, but the rulers of the neighboring Ferelden as well.

She stared at the parchment in front of her and tried to figure out how to explain any of it. Truth be told, she still didn’t understand … didn’t believe what had happened. Sure, Anders had been extremely vocal about his stance against the Chantry and Templars, but she never thought he’d go _that_ far. And to involve her, intentionally or not, in something that resulted in Elthina’s death … surely he’d known how that would affect her? But, if he had, did that mean he never really cared; had he ever been her friend?

She knew she needed to let King Alistair & Queen Regan know what had happened. Anders had been a Warden with the two of them. He’d hinted several times that he was extremely close to the queen when he’d been with the Wardens in Amaranthine. How would they feel, knowing the queen’s former ally had blown up Kirkwall’s Chantry? How would they feel knowing she had helped, albeit unintentionally?

And she needed to let Sebastian know the newest details. She had managed to convince him not to lay siege to Kirkwall once he’d reclaimed the Starkhaven throne, barely. It was only with the promise of Anders’ eventual, public, execution that he agreed to let the mage live long enough for her to deal with the immediate aftermath of his actions. She’d fully intended on ending Anders’ life once things had settled down, but in the confusion after Meredith’s defeat, he’d slipped away. After finally convincing the interim Knight-Commander and the few nobles who had remained to allow her to return, she’d spent the last several months looking for any hint of where he might have gone, and she thought she’d finally found him. But getting to him would be difficult, and after everything that had happened, Sebastian needed to know.

_Your highnesses, it is with a heavy heart that I write this letter. By now, I am sure you have heard about what happened in Kirkwall: the Chantry destroyed by Anders, First Enchanter Orsino killed after turning to blood magic and Knight-Commander Meredith dead after losing her mind to a dangerous slab of red lyrium. I know you both knew Anders when he was a Grey Warden and I felt you should know what he’s done._

_He was … is possessed by a spirit, someone he called Justice, though he claimed the spirit is no longer the being that fought at the queen’s side in Amaranthine. Anders tricked us into helping him gather the items he used, knowing we wouldn’t willingly help him. I assure you we had no notion of what he planned, though in hindsight, his explanation of a potion that would cast the spirit from him should have rung false. I suppose we … I … just wanted to believe him._

_I am incredibly sorry for the part my friends and I played in this atrocity and wish to offer my services in whatever capacity is needed to help fix this. My sister assures me the mages left in the circle **want** to be there and have **no** interest in blood magic. I know my judgment has already proven faulty at times, but I truly believe she is being sincere and the mages and templars remaining will work together._

“Oh, Maker take it all!” Ruari returned the quill to the inkwell and flung her hands up in disgust. “I sound like a simpering idiot,” she grumbled, looking away from the letter.

“Is there something I can do, messer?” Bodahn called from the other room. He was monitoring Sandal’s enchanting when he overheard her exasperation. .

“I just can’t get this stupid letter to sound right,” she grumbled. “After all, how do you tell a king and queen that their friend went nuts, blew up the Chantry and killed a grand cleric?”

“You don’t.” A strange female voice came from the foyer; one that sounded distinctly Ferelden, and high born Ferelden, at that.

“Who …?” Ruari whipped around, reaching for blades that weren’t there; her trusty daggers were right where she left them – in her bedroom. And Fenris had taken Carth for a walk, so she didn’t even have backup. Luckily, the stranger didn’t seem interested in fighting.

Ruari looked the stranger over carefully, wondering who this person was and how she managed to get in. Leandra had done her best to find a lock that was difficult for even her skilled daughter to pick, and it had held up against every attempted invasion, until now. The strange woman was taller than most of the women in Kirkwall, Ruari included. Her red was sprinkled with white, but otherwise, she thought the woman looked no older than herself. She seemed to be in decent enough shape; her blue and silver armor fit well and looked as though it had seen some serious use, and Ruari could make out the hilts of two blades at her back.

“I suppose I should have known he wouldn’t have told you he wrote me,” the stranger sighed, shaking her head. “Anders always was a bit of an idiot when it came to sharing the _important_ information.” She spoke of the mage with a hint of affection as she moved into the room swiftly, looking around quickly. 

Ruari was sure that no matter how quick the woman’s gaze seemed to be, she missed nothing. There was just something about the way she moved that felt … regal. “What do you think …”

“You’ll need to pack, and quickly,” the woman cut in, running her fingers through her short hair distractedly. “It’s already going to be difficult getting out of here, and the trail’s growing colder every day.” She started moving toward the stairs, still rambling. “You’ll need weapons, obviously. Poultices, unless you’ve got a healer hidden about somewhere; Maker knows they come in handy on things like this. I’ve got one, though I make no promises as to how useful he’ll actually be. Food would be good, though if necessary, hunting as we travel is an option; Jasper misses being useful and he loves the chase.”

Ruari watched as the woman moved through _her_ house like she owned the place, opening her mouth to protest, when Fenris and Carth finally returned. “Hawke,” Fenris purred, closing the distance between them easily. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a kiss before finally noticing the stranger. “Who are you?” he growled, clutching Ruari closer. Oddly, Carth didn’t seem bothered by the woman.

“Your friend can come too,” the stranger called out from upstairs. When had she moved upstairs? “If he can fight, all the better; we’ll need all the help we can get, I think.” She ignored his question, or she hadn’t heard it. Either way, the woman made her way back down to the first floor looking totally at home. “And the First Warden has allowed a couple old friends to come along too. They’ll at least make things feel a bit like the old days, since my husband’s busy back home.”

Fenris reluctantly released Ruari and drew his blade, glaring at the stranger. “I repeat,” he snarled, “Who are you?”

Before she could answer, Bodahn scurried in. “My word, it _is_ you!” He hurriedly dropped to one knee and couldn’t stop the smile. “I thought I recognized that voice! It is so good to see you again, your majesty. Sandal, my boy! Come say hello to the Queen of Ferelden!”

“The Queen?!” Ruari looked at Fenris, wide eyed. Why would Ferelden’s queen be in Kirkwall … in _her_ home? She reached for Fenris, urging him to lower his blade. “Why would the Queen be here?”

“Oh, Bodahn,” the Queen smiled, pulling the dwarf up and into a hug. “You know better than that. It’s just Regan to you. You’ve known me for far too long to use titles.” She set the older dwarf down, dropped to her knees and hugged Sandal before standing back up and looking over at Ruari and Fenris, noticing the elf’s blade for the first time. “You _can_ put that away, you know. I may be carrying blades, but if you haven’t noticed, they’re sheathed. Besides, if I wanted either of you dead, you already would be.” She spread her hands in front of her and smirked. “Please forgive me. I keep forgetting few people here would recognize me. The ones that knew me growing up are long gone … or old.”

She waited patiently for the elf to return his blade to its sheath, and then leaned against the wall. “I’m sure you have questions. Maker knows I would. And I will do my best to answer yours, but we _need_ to leave. Fast.” She looked at Bodahn and Sandal and sighed. “My friend, it might be best if you leave Kirkwall as well. Things may not be safe for too much longer.”

“Wait.” Ruari finally managed to find her voice. Everything was happening far too fast. “Why do we need to leave at all? What do you mean the city might not be safe?” She reached for Fenris, wanting to know that this was all real. “The city is finally starting to rebuild. They need our help.”

“You’ll be helping them far more by coming with me,” Regan replied quietly. “It’s hard to explain, but I know you’ve been looking for Anders. I know you think you’ve narrowed down his location. I can help you narrow it down further.” One plus about being royalty: you had an army of spies at your disposal. And when one was as skilled and reliable as Zevran, you could trust the information.

“You know we’ve been looking for the abomination?” Fenris asked, surprised. He thought they had been at least somewhat quiet about it. How could someone in Ferelden have heard about their search?

Regan nodded. “It wasn’t that hard to guess, once I received his letter.” She knew there would need to be explanations, and, honestly, she was far too tired to try and leave Kirkwall that night, so she suggested the group move to another room and promised to make everything clear.

Ruari led the group into the next room and everyone took a seat. She and Fenris sat on the stairs, the elf wrapping his arm around her protectively. Carth took up the spot right in front of the pair, curling up and quickly dozing off. Bodahn disappeared up the stairs to resume monitoring Sandal’s progress, certain he could still hear what was said below. Regan took a seat next to the fireplace and sighed softly. Before anyone could speak, however, another mabari made its way into the room and plopped down next to the Queen.

“I suppose we should go through introductions first,” Regan smirked, noticing the shocked looks on the pair’s faces. “You already know who I am, though I would suggest simply calling me Regan from now on. It’s much less of a mouthful than ‘Her Royal Highness, Queen Regan Cousland Therin of Ferelden’.” She ran her fingers along the head of the mabari next to her and made a rather unladylike expression as she recited the full moniker that was only used on the most formal of occasions. “And this is Jasper. He’s been with me since I was a girl.” The mabari woofed softly, once, then rested his head in her lap and closed his eyes. Smiling slyly, she went on, “And you’re Ruari Hawke … and Fenris. And your mabari is called Carth.”

“Yes, “Ruari replied slowly. That the woman knew who she was didn’t surprise her; King Alistair had known who she was, so that only made sense. But to know Fenris _and_ Carth as well … that was unexpected.

“Oh, relax,” Regan sighed, shaking her head. “You met my husband not terribly long ago. Do you really think the King of Ferelden would travel _anywhere_ without having a very good idea of who he would be interacting with? We did our research when we first had an idea that contact would be made.” In truth, she had been in touch with Zevran for years, and he made sure to keep her informed of interesting people he’d come across, including the Champion of Kirkwall and her companions. Plus, thanks to Isolde’s desire to make up for the trouble caused regarding her son, several nobles in The Free Marches and Orlais would send information regarding notable people, which was then passed on to Eamon, Alistair and herself.

“Now, on to business.  The First Warden feels that since Anders _is_ a warden, as much as he may claim otherwise, it is at least partly our responsibility to deal with him.  And since I was the one who recruited him instead of letting the templars hang him, I volunteered.” Regan spent the next several hours outlining her plans. She had a few friends ready to accompany them; they planned on meeting at the city gates in the morning. Due to the potential danger of the trip, however, she wanted more. She knew that the more capable people she had, the better off they would be. Finally, she convinced the pair to come with her, though she knew they both had their doubts. But they had agreed, so that was something.

“You should get some rest,” she finally sighed, rubbing her eyes. She was exhausted, and she was certain Hawke and Fenris were as well. “I suggest enjoying what will likely be your last night in a comfortable bed for a long while.”

“What about you?” Ruari asked, surprised. Leandra’s room had become somewhat of a storage room, but the bed was still there. “There’s a tavern with a few rooms to rent in Lowtown. Or, we have a spare bed, if you want to …”

“Jasper and I will be fine,” Regan smiled, running her hand along the mabari’s head. “We’ve gotten used to being adaptable. Plus, taverns in places called ‘Lowtown’ are probably not the most secure. But I thank you. I shall see you both in the morning.”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chantry is gone. Kirkwall is just attempting to rebuild. Vicountess Ruari Hawke is still trying to figure out how to tell the King and Queen of Ferelden that the Queen's friend blew up the Chantry, killing hundreds. She doesn't expect to be dragged on another adventure. But it's to find and deal with Anders, and she'll have interesting company, and she can't believe some of the people coming along.

The following morning found Regan and Jasper pacing in Hawke’s foyer. A part of her feared that the pair would change their minds and remain in Kirkwall. If that happened, there was nothing she could do; she couldn’t exactly _order_ them to come with her. And if that happened, she’d make due. But she hoped they’d see reason. To try and relax, she busied herself with getting to know Hawke’s mabari, and making sure Jasper and Carth got along fine. 

Finally, the pair made their way downstairs, fastening the last of their respective armor. Bodhan came running in with several sacks of supplies, and there was hugging all around. No one knew when they’d see anyone else again. It was all very sad. Regan even allowed herself a moment with the dwarves, letting them know they would always be welcome in Ferelden. And then, the group was off.

“Do either of you know how to ride?” Regan asked as they made their way through the streets of Kirkwall. She wanted to reach Anders’ last known location as soon as possible, and horses would make the trip much faster. Even after Howe had ransacked their home, Fergus had managed to put together a decent stock of war horses, thanks to the handlers he’d managed to find, and many had been sent to the castle for her use. The horses she’d brought with her were some of favorites from the castle’s stables.

“No,” Ruari replied slowly. Growing up in Lothering, her family was never wealthy enough to have horses. Plus, when you’re hiding two apostates, you didn’t want to draw attention to yourself. Once she’d come back from the deep roads, she could have afforded at least one, but there had never been a need, or space. As a slave, then an escaped slave before finally settling down in Kirkwall, Fenris never had the opportunity either.

“Of course not,” Regan muttered, shaking her head. “Well, I hope you’re prepared for a crash course.” She certainly didn’t want to fathom making the entire trip on foot. “Don’t worry. Our horses are good with beginners.” She started thinking aloud, content to let Jasper and Carth lead the way through the city, much to Fenris’ concern. “Let’s see. Nate can double up with someone. Finn can probably handle doubling up as well. Might stick the dwarf with him; short legs do not lend themselves to horseback riding. I suppose I can double up or maybe I can convince His Royal Cranky-Pants to do so, but that’ll put a lot of stress on the horses. Then again, they _were_ bred to handle the weight of men in full armor … and it _would_ only be for a day or so, until we can get them comfortable.”

Ruari and Fenris just looked at each other and shook their heads. This woman certainly wasn’t what they expected when she’d said she was queen. Sure, she acted as if she expected to be obeyed, but didn’t Ruari do that as well? And she _did_ seem to have some knowledge about what had gone on. That letter from Anders was especially painful to see. And she knew where he was! That was the important thing. Pity she wouldn’t be able to contact Sebastian to let him know where they were going; he’d be disappointed he didn’t get to come along.

They passed through the gates with no issue and made their way into the nearby forest leading to Sundermount before Regan called the procession to a halt. She remained silent, and sent Jasper ahead on his own. When Fenris questioned her, all but accusing her of getting them out in the open to do them harm, she just shook her head. “He’s going to let the others know we’re here. They’ll be along momentarily.” She took a seat on a nearby rock and gestured for the others to do the same. “They didn’t want to camp too close to the city, just in case things went sideways.”

Not long after everyone had gotten comfortable, the bushes nearby rustled, just before giving way to an excited mabari.

“For the Maker’s sake, you blasted dog, slow down! You know the horses can’t move through this mess _that_ fast.”

“Ow. Does the outdoors have to have so many trees?”

“Quit yer complainin’, ya skirt-wearin’ wimp! I’m the one gettin’ hit first.”

“Yes, but in addition to everything else, I have to contend with your alcohol-laden stench.”

“Really, you all? Fighting already?” Regan was on her feet the second before Jasper broke through the bushes, ready to meet his exuberant greeting. “You’re going to scare the nobles, or something.” She couldn’t hide the amused smile as Hawke and Fenris just stared at her, confused. Then, the source of the voices pushed their way through. First came a red-headed dwarf in what looked like heavy Warden armor, leading a mostly black horse with white markings. Second, a human mage pushed his way through, holding the reigns of a tan horse in one hand, batting at his robe with the other. Next came a pair of humans, each leading two horses. The dark-haired one wearing lightweight Warden armor was leading a pair of solid black horses, while the one wearing very familiar, mostly white armor was in charge of a tan and white horse and a solid white horse.

"Sebastian?!” Ruari gasped, surprised. She hadn’t expected to see _him_ here. After all, she hadn’t had a chance to write him about the latest developments. How was it that he managed to be here?

“Hello again, Hawke,” Sebastian smiled as he passed control of the horses to Regan, then hugged his old friend. “It is good to see you again, spending time with a better class of people this time.” He gestured toward Regan and her friends, then shook Fenris’ hand. “It’s good to see you again, as well, Fenris.”

“Sebastian? How … when … what are you doing here?” Ruari finally got out the question she wanted, though it wasn’t as eloquent as she’d hoped.

“I invited him.” Regan made it sound like the most normal thing in the world. She and the others had lined up the horses and loaded up one with their supplies. Depending on how the rushed riding lessons went, they might space out the load a bit more. “I told you I had some friends joining us. After finding out what Anders did, I thought ‘Bastian, here, might want to come along.” She pretended not to hear the snickering coming from the three men behind her. Their little group knew Sebastian hated that nickname. The only reason Regan got away with using it was because her mother had been close friends with Sebastian's family. “Might as well get the rest of the introductions out of the way, and get started. We’ll want to get you comfortable on those horses as soon as possible.”

Regan and Sebastian led Ruari, Carth, and Fenris toward the horses; the other three men quickly joining them. Hawke’s mabari seemed to take his lead from Jasper and was tentatively sniffing around the larger animals, both getting used to their scents and letting them get to know his. Regan leaned against the darker-haired man and gestured toward the pair from Kirkwall. “Everyone, this is Ruari Hawke and Fenris.” She paused, looking at the pair curiously for a moment. “I don’t actually know if he has a last name, or if he’s taking the Hawke name, or what.”

“It’s just Fenris,” the elf growled softly, trying to decide if she was making fun of him.

“Fair enough,” Regan agreed, shrugging. “So, we have Ruari, Fenris, and Carth.” She pointed them each out, mostly for the benefit of the two who hadn’t had any interactions with them at all. She paused a moment, wondering where she should start with the introductions on her end.

“Name’s Oghren,” the red-bearded dwarf interrupted, making her decision for her. “Fought with Regan in the blight, then became a Warden while she was ‘Commander of the Grey’ in Amaranthine.”

Regan hid a laugh as Fenris and Ruari backed away from the dwarf slowly. He _did_ have a tendency to reek of alcohol. “You get used to it,” she advised. After a while, the smell almost became a good thing; it meant he was still alive. “So, anyway; that’s Oghren. The nervous-looking blonde fellow is Finn. He’s from the Circle in Ferelden and is one of the mages who has proven themselves by keeping me, and our companions, alive.”

Finn stepped forward and waved before glancing down at his robe. “Maker’s breath, why must the outdoors be so _dirty_? It’ll take weeks to get this clean again!”

“Calm down, Finn. We’ll take care of it,” Regan laughed. “If I have to, I’ll buy you a brand new robe.” She couldn’t help but shake her head as the stream of grumbling continued, but went on with the final introduction. “And this is Nathaniel Howe. I’ve known him for most of my life, honestly, and with the exception of my husband, there is no one I trust more.”

“I remember you!” Ruari was surprised to see someone else she knew among the queen’s companions. Sure, she’d only met him the once, but you don’t tend to forget Grey Wardens that you run into while fighting strange darkspawn. “How’s your sister?”

Nathaniel and Regan exchanged a sad look as he shook his head. “I’d … rather not say, just yet,” he finally replied. “But it is a pleasure to see you both again.” He gave Regan a half smile and explained, “These are the people I told you about a while back. I ran into them in the Deep Roads; they helped me avenge our fallen brothers as well as get out of there alive to report back. They’re not half bad fighters.”

“Good to know,” Regan replied with a grin. “I was hoping those blades were for more than just show.” She left the group and wandered over to one of the solid black horses, gently patting its neck. “Now, let’s see how well you two do on horses. I think Fergus said Athene and Lelantos were the best with novice riders.” She pointed to the two horses on the far end. “The others, I think, have all been claimed, anyway.”

She led Ruari and Fenris over and let them choose their mounts. Ruari chose the tan horse, noticing that the beast’s saddle bore the name ‘Athene’. Fenris walked over to the black and white horse and just stared up at it. “How do you …” he began, examining the creature and its saddle carefully.

“Nate, Sebastian, a demonstration, if you please?” Regan watched as the two archers led their horses over. Nathaniel walked one of the black horses over and waited for Sebastian to lead the white horse over as well. Almost in unison, the pair mounted their respective horses, then looked down at Hawke and Fenris, waiting.

Strangely nervous, Ruari tried to mimic their movements, having a little difficulty pulling herself up, even with the assistance of her legs. But once she was in the saddle, she felt a little more comfortable. It was kind of like riding her mabari when she was younger. She reached out and gently patted the horse on her neck, “Good girl, Athene.”

Fenris watched as Hawke had little trouble, then decided to give it a try, himself. He was able to mount Lelantos easily, but that’s where his ease ended. He couldn’t seem to stay in the saddle; he slid one way, overcorrected, and slid the other. Just when he thought he had himself situated, he started sliding again.

Regan hid a laugh as Sebastian moved Arete around to help Fenris steady himself. Once they were sure both could stay in the saddle during a standstill, she had the two archers give them pointers about staying put when the horse was actually in motion. While they were busy doing that, she helped Oghren and Finn onto the tan and white horse they would share. Since dwarven legs weren’t made to ride horses, he had to ride with someone else, and since Finn’s robes weighed less than anyone else’s armor, he was the logical choice.

Finally, it looked like everyone was at least ready for a slow trot along the path. Once Hawke and Fenris were a little more accustomed to the mounts, they’d pick up the pace. Regan quickly moved into Erebus’ saddle and moved to lead the group. “Don’t worry about directing your horses,” she called back to the two new riders. “Lelantos and Athene have been trained to follow the lead horse if their riders don’t direct them otherwise. All the horses have.” And then, they were off.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party is on their way. Ruari and Fenris finally learn more about why the Queen is looking for Anders.

The majority of the first day’s travel was uneventful. They made their way north, through a well-traveled path through the Vinmark Mountains. The order of the group seemed fairly fluid, with Regan and Nathaniel alternating the lead. Most of the time, Nathaniel seemed content to remain in front, allowing Regan to drift back to mingle with the rest of the group. “Finn, Enyo is not interested in getting you injured. And Oghren knows how to guide her well enough. You’ll be fine, I promise. Or, you could always walk, but I’d be willing to bet we’d out-distance you within minutes.”

Ruari had to wonder about the composition of their little band. There was no obvious connection between them all. Sure, the Queen obviously knew the two Wardens well, and she seemed to know the mage, as well. There was no telling how well the woman knew Sebastian, but _she_ and Fenris had only just met her the previous day. So why were they the ones going on this trek? She had finally worked up the nerve to actually ask when the lead rider stopped.

“Here would be a good place to set up,” Nathaniel called back, prompting Regan and Sebastian to join him. The trio conferred for a few minutes before coming to some sort of agreement; all three dismounted and headed back to help the others down.

“Nate’s right,” Regan confirmed, waiting for Finn to decide to slide off the horse. “We’ll get the tents set up. Jasper and Carth can go hunting; do we have a volunteer to go with?” She pointed Finn toward the open field and turned back to help Oghren down. Nathaniel and Sebastian just watched as Ruari and Fenris slid off their saddles less than gracefully. “We’ll work on that,” Regan muttered before heading over to the clearing to join her friends.

“I’ll go with the dogs,” Nathaniel volunteered. “I’ll probably be the quietest one, anyway.” He grinned as Regan tossed a stick at him with a grumble, then disappeared into the trees with the two mabari.

“Well, while he’s gone, we’ll set up the tents and get the sleeping situation sorted out.” Regan and Sebastian headed back to the horses and started pulling supplies down and passing them off to Oghren before heading back to the clearing. “We have three tents, so we have to decide who’s sharing with whom.”

“We’re _what_?!” Fenris stared at the woman in shock. The only person he’d shared living or sleeping space with since escaping Danarius had been Hawke. Even whenever they’d gone out adventuring, if they hadn’t made it back to town the same day, he’d only shared space with her, to protect her. And in the deep roads, there were no tents; everyone just slept out in the open. Now there was a chance he was going to have to trust someone else in the same tent?

“Oh, calm down,” Regan sighed, shaking her head. “It’s nothing unusual. And everyone here is trustworthy; well, everyone I brought with me, anyway.” She smiled at the pair, hoping they understood she was simply teasing. “That’s why we have to decide who is sleeping where.” She gestured toward the tents, currently being set up by Sebastian, Oghren, and Finn.

“We can have Ruari and myself sleep in one tent, and have the other two split between the five men,” she started, wondering which option the two newcomers would be most comfortable with. “Or, we can fit you in as well, and then let the other four decide who’s pairing up.” She noticed the elf seemed a little more accepting of the idea of not being parted from Hawke. “Or, I suppose you and Ruari could take the smallest tent, and the boys and I will figure out who’ll sleep where in the two larger tents.”

“I hate to seem like a bother,” Ruari replied, almost amused at the pressure Fenris was placing at the small of her back for the third option. “But Fenris and I barely know most of you, including yourself, your majesty. The only person here we _do_ know well is Sebastian, and, well … he may not be overly thrilled with us after the whole fiasco with Anders, so … we might be slightly more comfortable in our own tent?”

“Suit yourself,” Regan shrugged, walking over toward Sebastian. “So, now it’s up to us to figure out where the rest of us will sleep.” She really didn’t care which tent she had; she was certainly not interested in breaking her vows to her husband. “You have a preference, ‘Bastian?”

“My preference is that you stop using that insufferable nickname,” Sebastian smirked, shaking his head. “My only request is that I _not_ share a tent with the dwarven brewery over there. I’d be drunk by the time I woke!” He grinned as Regan threw her arm over his shoulder and nodded in agreement. When she and the dwarf had traveled together before, it was almost impossible to get anyone to share a tent with Oghren, and when they did, the tent flap was _always_ open.

“I … must echo the prince’s request.” Finn rushed over so as not to be left out. “I don’t think I could take it if I were trapped in there.”

“Fair enough.” Regan looked over at Oghren. “Think you can stand to share a tent with Nate, at least until _his_ nose objects too?” She grinned at the responding gesture, unable to help herself. “Don’t worry, Oghren. If things work out like they usually do, you’ll have a tent all your own in no time.” She looked over at Ruari and Fenris and winked. “Nate will torment me for _weeks_ for this, you know.”

The rest of the evening was fairly uneventful. Regan found herself giving Fenris and Hawke a quick lesson in riding while Sebastian and Oghren dealt with preparing their food. Nathaniel and Finn were busy setting up perimeter defenses, using a combination of spells and traps. Carth and Jasper lounged by the fire, looking rather pleased with themselves; according to Nathaniel, the pair had done very well during the hunt. Dinner was rather quiet, with Ruari and Fenris trying to get to know their companions at least a little better. No one, however, seemed to have an answer as to _why_ they were all after Anders. As night fell, everyone started drifting toward their tents, leaving the two mabari to stand guard.

The group set out early the following morning, after a quick breakfast and teardown of the campsite. Travel was again fairly uneventful; the worst thing they’d run into was a small band of bandits who didn’t realize that this was not a group to try and mug. Somehow, Regan, the two archers, and the mabari had managed to take out the entire group before anyone could dismount. Ruari and Regan shared the task of rooting through the bandits’ corpses for anything useful; they certainly weren’t going to need any of it.

Regan and Nathaniel set a faster pace, fairly confident that everyone could manage to keep up. Sebastian rode near his former traveling partners to make sure they had as easy a time as possible, while Oghren and Finn just sort of hung around in the middle. With the dwarf steering and the mage prodding the horse with his heels, it actually kind of worked for them.

When they finally decided to camp for the night, Ruari made up her mind to pry more information out of someone as to why everyone was looking for Anders. She bided her time, waiting until Nathaniel and the mabari returned from hunting and dinner was served before finally bringing it up. “Look,” she said sharper than intended. “I understand that sometimes secrets need to be kept, but now is not one of those times.” She looked over at Sebastian first, then Regan and the others. “Fenris and I want … _need_ to know why you’re all here. Why are you looking for Anders, too?”

Regan glanced at her friends and shrugged. It was a fair question, and one they’d managed to avoid answering for longer than she’d expected; might as well let everything into the open. “Well, you already know why ‘Bastian wants to find him,” she began, smiling angelically at the prince, who just rolled his eyes. Ruari nodded as the queen went on. “Finn is here because I asked him to be. I know _my_ limits and habits, and I know having a healer along is pretty much a necessity. Plus, Alistair insisted on it.”

“It didn’t hurt that the Knight Commander and First Enchanter remembered that I’ve been on a quest or two with you before, too,” Finn added. “Otherwise, I’m sure they would have sent a more senior mage with you.”

Regan smiled. “The only senior mage I’d have wanted along would have been Wynne, but, I know she’s out of reach right now.” Finn nodded, then returned his attention to the mediocre stew in front of him. Never let it be said that Oghren was a great cook. “Anyway,” she went on, “Oghren was at Amaranthine with Anders. When he heard what Anders did, and that we were going looking for him, he volunteered. Said …”

“Said they needed someone his magic couldn’t hurt,” Oghren butted in, looking smug. “Nothin’ that skirt-wearin’, cat-coddlin’ sparkle-fingers’ll throw can hurt ol’ Oghren.”

“Unless he blows up an entire building with you in it,” Nathaniel offered helpfully.

“Yes, well, let’s not give him any _more_ ideas,” Regan laughed. “And Nathaniel was at Amaranthine too. But, it’s … a little more personal for him, and even me.” When Ruari and Fenris looked a little confused, Regan glanced over at Nathaniel to see if he wanted to take over. When he shook his head, she sighed sadly.

“The Grand Cleric wasn’t the only one who died when the Chantry was destroyed. You know hundreds of people were in and around the Chantry when it exploded. Delilah, Nate’s sister, had come with her husband and children. She let her son wander the shops in Hightown while she, her husband and their newborn daughter did something inside the Chantry – praying or something.” Regan had to stop for a moment, fighting back tears. Nathaniel reached over and grabbed her hand, fighting back tears of his own. “They were in the Chantry when … when it blew up. A ten-year-old boy lost both his parents and his little sister because _someone_ thought it would be a good idea to make a statement using the Chantry.” She paused to take a breath and gave Nathaniel’s hand a squeeze. “I grew up with them, and as much as I _hated_ Delilah’s obsession with using me as her own personal doll, I cared about her. She was my best friend’s sister. And she became _much_ more tolerable once she grew up and got married. And she _certainly_ didn’t deserve to die like _that_. As much as I consider Anders a friend, he has gone too far.”

“Maker, I’m so sorry.” Sebastian stared at Regan and Nathaniel; neither one had released their grip on the other, but that was the only thing that gave any hint of the pain they felt. Even the tears had already stopped. “I had no idea you’d lost someone so close to you both.”

She hadn’t even told Sebastian? Why hadn’t she told Sebastian, at least? “What happened to the boy?” Fenris asked quietly, hugging Ruari close to him. Hearing about more innocent lives lost thanks to the abomination just made him angry; he needed to try and remain calm while they were at camp.

“He’s currently staying in Highever, with her brother,” Nathaniel replied, tilting his head toward Regan. “Fergus offered to watch over him while I’m off with Her Royal Highness, here. And once we’re done, I’ll see about taking a leave from the Wardens, so to speak, to take care of him.”

“I’m sure it makes things odd around Highever,” Regan added, actually managing a laugh, “having a child running through the castle, again. I … I hope Fergus is handling things ok.” She leaned against her friend and sighed. “It was sweet of your sister, naming him after my father. I’m not sure _your_ father would have liked it, considering … y’know, he had everyone killed and all.”

“Wait,” Ruari interrupted, suddenly confused. “ _His_ father had your _entire_ family killed, and you’re okay with this?” She looked back and forth between the two and just couldn’t make sense of it. That would be like … well, she couldn’t even think about what it would be like.

“No, I’m not okay with what his father did,” Regan replied quietly, finally dropping Nathaniel’s hand. “I will never forgive Rendon Howe for what he did to my family. But Nate had nothing to do with it. He wasn’t even _in_ Ferelden when it happened.” She smiled sadly at the man next to her and shrugged. “For a while, I admit I _did_ wonder if he’d had played a part, somehow, but that was more due to his father’s lies than anything he’d done himself.”

“If it hadn’t been for my father’s insane ideas and jealousies,” Nathaniel interjected, “things might have played out much differently for us.” He looked skyward for a moment and sighed. “There was a chance that Regan and I might have married, had my father not decided to send me to the Free Marches as a young man. But that is neither here nor there. She spared my life, I stopped wishing her dead for killing _my_ father, and the rest is history.”

“You killed _his_ father?” Ruari just kept looking between the pair. How could the two of them be so … friendly after all that?

“Yes,” Regan answered, nodding. “His father killed my family, I killed his father, and he was going to try and kill me. I think that mostly covers our recent history.” She counted off the events as she spoke, wondering if she missed anything. Admittedly, her relationship with Nathaniel _was_ a little strange, when you thought about it. “And now, I trust him with my life, and have, on several occasions.”

“I … can see why you are hunting the abomination, then,” Fenris finally said. “I am sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks, Fenris,” Nathaniel and Regan replied in unison.

“Anders has a lot to answer for, and Justice does as well. If they’re in the same body, then it just makes it easier to yell at both of them.” Regan stretched her arms out in front of her, fingers interlacing as she did so. “And then, he … they die. I loathe the idea of killing a friend, but even friendships have boundaries.”

“You’ve gotten quite good at this whole ruling thing, you know,” Sebastian mused, grinning. “If you weren’t already taken, I might be tempted to ask for your hand.” He dodged the half-heartedly thrown stick and laughed. “No worries. There are still a few eligible ladies around Starkhaven.”

“There are a few I can send your way from Ferelden, too,” Regan agreed, thinking of Alfstanna, in particular. Fergus still had no interest in taking another wife. She was sure Alfstanna would be able to handle Sebastian. But that could wait for the time being. “Why don’t we continue _that_ discussion later, and get some sleep. I think we’re getting close.”

Everyone agreed and made their way to their tents, except for Nathaniel. He looked over at the tent he was supposed to be sharing with Oghren and groaned. He wasn’t sure he could take another night sleeping in a brewery. But Regan’s tent was already a bit crowded. He wasn’t sure if he’d fit. He should have known his friend would notice something was up, though.

“Tired of the smell already?” Regan laughed, peeking her head out of the tent. When he nodded, she just motioned for him to come into her tent. “I think we can make room,” she grinned, pointing to an already cleared spot. When he questioned how she’d known the space would be necessary, she just shrugged and smiled at him. “I _did_ travel with him for almost a year, Nate. We can all fit here. Let’s get some sleep.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stopping at an apparently abandoned villiage is never a bad thing, right? You'd think Regan would have learned after her visit to Haven, hmm?

The next three days went pretty much the same. They moved quickly on horseback, covering large distances with little effort. They _did_ have to stop earlier in the day at the faster pace, but the tradeoff was worth it. When they did stop, Nathaniel, or sometimes Regan, would go off hunting with the dogs while the others set up camp. After the second night, Regan managed to convince Ruari and Fenris to switch tents with Oghren, giving the dwarf the smallest tent. After that, Ruari, Fenris, and Sebastian shared a tent, and Regan, Nathaniel, and Finn slept in the largest tent. There was the occasional bandit or creature attack, but nothing the group couldn’t handle. Ruari noticed Regan _did_ seem to get injured on a fairly regular basis, but their healer appeared to have fixing her down to a science.

On the sixth day, the group came across a small town. It was the first real settlement they’d seen since leaving Kirkwall and the thought of restocking their supplies crossed more than one mind. Regan also knew Anders should be nearby; her spies had marked the area on her map as the most likely hiding spot. Tethering the horses just outside the town gate, Regan left Nathaniel to guard them until they determined whether the town was safe or not. She’d learned her lesson after Haven; that place was nuts, and dangerous. “Well, I don’t hear any strange chanting, so _that’s_ a plus,” Regan muttered, looking around. “Anyone see anything that remotely resembles a shop?”

No one spoke for a moment, until Finn pointed toward a rather nondescript building nearby. “I _think_ that sign says it’s a store.”

“You _think_ it is?” Fenris repeated, eyeing the mage carefully. “It either is, or it isn’t.”

“The sign is … written in a strange language that I don’t think I’ve ever seen.” Finn stepped closer to the sign and examined the letters more thoroughly. “It is almost like the elvish in that book your witch friend stole.”

“Well, that’s probably not good,” Regan sighed, reaching out to rest a hand on Jasper’s head nervously. She still didn’t fully understand why Morrigan had needed that book, but she knew it had something to do with magic, and that usually meant mages, or idiots … or both.

“What’s so bad about that?” Ruari asked, noticing the other woman’s sudden nerves. She found herself scooting a little closer to Fenris and Carth without quite understanding why.

“Let’s put it this way,” Regan sighed, resisting the urge to draw her weapons. “That book belonged to a Dalish keeper. It was stolen by a witch of the wilds who needed it for _something;_ I think it had to do with something called an Eluvian. At any rate, the book had something to do with old magic, so be on your guard.”

“I’m glad she doesn’t seem to trust _all_ mages,” Fenris growled; her nervousness was starting to affect him as well. He didn’t look at the mage that was accompanying them. He knew Finn had come from the tower and was still considered under Templar and Chantry control. He also didn’t seem to have much in the way of offensive spells, which seemed to be why he stuck close to the other fighters.

“Except for Finn,” Sebastian clarified with a faint smile. “He _has_ managed to keep her in fighting condition, no matter what.” He, too, had been bitten by the nerve-bug and was scanning the area as well. Oddly, there was no one around; not even a stray dog.

Even the mabari seemed tense. Regan could feel the hairs on the back of Jasper’s neck standing up. A simple glance at Carth revealed the tensed muscles in his legs; he was ready to either leap _at_ something, or away from it. The only one who didn’t seem unnerved was Oghren. He still operated under the belief that he was safe from any magic, because he was a dwarf.

“Be ready for anything,” Ruari advised as she watched Regan knock, then slowly open the door of the supposed shop. Nothing unusual happened, so the group walked in, leaving Jasper and Carth sitting just outside the door. Sometimes shop keepers did not approve of mabari in their stores. “Hello?” she called out, looking for anyone who might assist them.

No one answered. In fact, it almost looked as if no one was even around. “Strange,” Regan murmured, looking around. “It’s almost like Haven, all over again.” She moved closer to the shelves, looking for items they needed, amazed that the shopkeeper actually had prices posted. “At least these are marked. I’ll leave a list of what we take and enough money to cover everything.” She proceeded to rummage through the shelves with Ruari, leaving Sebastian, Oghren, and Fenris to look around for any people. When the women were sure they had taken care of the supply issue, Regan dropped the list and money on the counter and they walked out, heading back to the horses.

“Something’s strange about this place,” Regan told her friends once they reached the horses. “Why don’t some of you look around a little more while Finn and I get these supplies put away?” They all agreed, and broke into pairs as they returned to the village. Regan and Finn made quick work of packing away their supplies and left the mabari to guard them as they headed back in. She was just about to say something to her friend when a fireball erupted a few feet away.

“They’ve come! Just like he said they would! Stop them!”

“Shit! Finn, get back!” Regan pulled the mage away from the flames, moving herself more out in the open. “I don’t know what they’re talking about, but we have to get to the others.” She and Finn ran to the nearest covered porch and quickly looked around for their companions.

“But, they don’t look like templars. They’re not wearing templar armor. And they have a dwarf. Dwarves aren’t templars.”

“They could be in disguise, fool! We can’t let them find him. Stop them; kill them if you have to!”

“Well, isn’t this just great,” Regan grumbled, reaching for her blades. “Think you can keep yourself protected, Finn?” The mage wasn’t great at fending off an up close attack by someone carrying blades, but he had proven himself damned good at shielding himself from magic. When he nervously replied that he thought he could, she half smiled and handed him a few bottles of a blue liquid. “Good. Use most of these if you have to. Save one for me, when I tell you I need it.”

He quickly stuffed the bottles into the pockets of his robe and cast a shielding spell on himself, ready to follow her lead. Normally, he wouldn’t dream of running into the open in a fight, but it was better than being a sitting duck on a wooden porch with a fireball flinging apostate running around.

“Let’s go,” Regan whispered as she bolted out of their hiding spot. Finn hurried after her, doing his best to keep up. They found Ruari and Fenris behind another building. Neither had any long range weapons, so they were doing good just staying out of the line of fire. She’d caught a glimpse of Nathaniel and Sebastian darting across the rooftops. The only one she couldn’t find at first was Oghren. When she finally _did_ locate him, he was surrounded by mages, taunting them like he was invincible.

“Idiot dwarf,” Finn grumbled, casting a paralysis spell. He wasn’t overly concerned about hitting Oghren; the dwarf had already proven _that_ spell didn’t affect him. Thankfully, it did affect the mages. Regan, Ruari, and Fenris ran out, blades swinging, laying waste to most of the mages around their companion. The ones they didn’t hit, Oghren took out, smirking the whole time. “We should have just left you to them,” Finn grumbled, shaking his head.

“They would have just given him back,” Regan grinned, shaking her head. She was about ready to say something else when a familiar voice cried out in pain and another shouting in indignation.

“Sebastian! Nathaniel!” Ruari shrieked, running toward the sound. The others followed quickly, Regan quickly checking for a small, cloudy vial in a pouch at her belt.

The group skidded to a halt after rounding the corner of one of the buildings; Nathaniel was on the ground, cradling his arm. Standing over him was yet another mage, but this one was holding a bloody knife. Surrounding the pair was what seemed like a sort of barrier.

“Nate?” Regan called out. That bloody knife was a problem. She didn’t know if it was Nathaniel’s blood or someone else’s. Not that it being someone else’s was _better_ , necessarily, but she’d prefer it not be her friend’s.

“I’m … okay, Reg,” the archer weakly answered. “Just … just a broken arm, I think.”

“We’ll take care of that in a minute.” Regan kept her eyes on the mage and tried to come up with a plan. “’Bastian? Be ready.” She had an idea, but it would take a lot of luck … and it would reveal a secret she’d done a very good job of hiding for the last few years. But, if it kept Nate alive, it was worth it.

“Won’t do any good with that barrier he’s got,” Sebastian called out, though his voice seemed to echo from several buildings.

“I’ll handle that,” Regan replied with a smirk, tucking her blades back in their sheathes for the time being. She tucked the small bottle back into one of her belt pouches and glanced at Finn. “Now,” she whispered, watching as the mage threw a bottle of the blue liquid in front of her. She dashed after it, plucking the bottle from the air, whipping the cork out and downing the liquid in a swift motion, never stopping. She headed straight for the mage, sliding under a fireball that came flying just as she reached the barrier. With a dark look on her face, she rose, hands clasped together. “Parshaara!” she growled. “This ends _now_!” She brought her hands apart, bringing forth a brief flash of light, and suddenly, the mage’s protective shield was down. “Now, ‘Bastian!”

Sebastian had been waiting, unsure of just _how_ she would take out that barrier. He, along with everyone else, was stunned to see the woman use a templar trick. But if this was a blood mage, hitting him with arrows, giving him access to _more_ blood, was a bad idea. “You get the blood mage. I’ll take out the others,” he called out, noticing that several other nearby mages were suddenly unprotected as well.

“Fair enough,” Regan growled, drawing the mage against her. She wrapped her left arm around his throat, not tight enough to cut off all air, but enough to control him. The other wrapped around his body, grabbing the wrist of the mage’s left hand and pulling it tight; she made sure her fingers were touching flesh and closed her eyes.

“What did she just do?” Ruari gasped as she and the others finally reached Nathaniel. His arm _was_ broken, but that appeared to be the worst of the damage. She tried to get Finn to heal him immediately, but the mage just shook his head.

“I can’t right now,” he explained, pointing at Regan. “She’s got a cleanse in this area; anything I tried to do now would just waste mana.” He looked the arm over and half-smiled. “It’s a clean break though. Once we’re clear of the area, it’ll take next to no time to fix.” He and Ruari carefully dragged the injured Grey Warden away from Regan; they headed for one of the outlying buildings, away from the reach of … whatever she had done.

“How can _she_ do that?” Fenris demanded, staring at the woman. “And what’s she doing now?” He was having trouble wrapping his head around everything that’d just happened. He could have sworn he’d heard a Qunari phrase spoken by the woman, and she’d just done something no one had known she could do, apparently. Who _was_ this woman?

“She’s draining him,” Oghren laughed, shaking his head. “Slow process, from what I’ve seen; she’s still only sort of got a lock on how it’s done. But it’ll keep him alive. I’m bettin’ she wants to question him.”

Finally, Regan sagged, letting the mage fall to the ground as she hit her knees. Fenris hurried over to help her up, while Oghren kept a watch on the mage. Sebastian finally jumped from the roof, fairly certain he’d taken out the remainder of the mages, and hurried over to help Fenris with the queen. “Are you alright, lass?” They lifted the woman carefully, watching as she slowly managed to get her feet beneath her. “I can honestly say I’d have never expected _that_ from you.”

“It’s amazing … what you can learn … from a former templar,” Regan tried to laugh as she stood back up. “Of course, I’ve never done quite so much before.” She leaned on Sebastian, asking Fenris to help Oghren tie up and gag the mage. “How … how’s Nate?” Her hand drifted to her stomach, “Oh, I think I’m going to be sick. ‘Scuse me.”

“I think Finn’s taking care of him now,” Sebastian replied, glancing over at the mage. “They had to drag him out of range of whatever you just did first.”

Once they were sure Regan was recovered enough to stand on her own and _not_ vomit, they surrounded the mage and began asking questions. Why did the mages attack them when they hadn’t done anything threatening, who had said ‘someone would come’, were they, specifically, the ones that were supposedly foretold, and more. The mage was not very forthcoming with answers, and Regan was getting annoyed. She hated using the few templar abilities Alistair had taught her; they always left her drained, even when she drank an entire vial of lyrium. And, maker that stuff was horrible. She almost never used it.

“Ashkost kata,” she growled, reaching for her dagger. She spat a few other Qunari curses that Sten had taught her before switching back to her normal language. “Look,” she snarled, pointing her dagger at the mage. “We stopped here looking for supplies. That’s it. We didn’t attack anyone. We didn’t steal anything. We left more than enough money to cover our purchases in the store. There was no call for you and your people to attack us. You hurt my friends, scared our horses and damn near killed me. If you do not start answering our questions, you will regret it.”

Fenris _knew_ he heard Qunlot that time. There was no mistaking the words he’d used, himself. Now wasn’t the time to ask, but ask he would. He _had_ to know why she could speak a language that almost no one in Ferelden understood.

The mage remained mute when it came to their questions, but he didn’t remain totally silent, or still. Fenris caught a hint of movement and a glint of metal as the mage shimmied a small dagger out of the sleeve of his robe into the hand that wasn’t being restrained. The elf shouted a warning before diving forward, his hand disappearing into the mage’s chest. Luckily, it didn’t go out the other side; it would have taken out Regan as well. He pulled his hand back, the mage’s heart clenched in his fist. It beat twice, then stilled as he threw it aside and the woman let the mage’s body fall back to the ground.

“Ew,” Regan smirked, looking down at the body. “Handy, but, ew.” She poked at the dead body with her toe and sighed. “Well, _that_ was a waste. I guess we should keep going. I’m betting we’re _really_ close to ….” She trailed off as the familiar sound of mabari barking and growling echoed in the air. Something had either spooked the dogs or the more likely option was that they’d cornered something getting too close to the horses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: How did a rogue like Regan Cousland manage to learn any templar abilities? I pictured Regan as having been trained as a warrior (sword & shield) for many years before deciding she preferred dual blades and started sneaking around to find people to teach her, therefore she could (and would) have the discipline Alistair says is required. Alistair started teaching her during the Blight; he only taught her TWO tricks – a basic area cleanse and that draining mana trick. Unfortunately, the only way Regan can drain mana is by touch, whereas I picture real templars being able to do so at a distance. Regan doesn’t necessarily have to drink lyrium to perform the abilities (as Alistair said, lyrium just makes those abilities stronger). She only drinks it if she feels she will a) need a boost to take on something powerful or b) run the risk of needing to use either ability more than once within a couple days’ time. Therefore, she’s only used it … well, twice, including here. (As I said in the beginning, this story was written before some of the lore regarding lyrium was readily available, so some things may not hold true any longer. If I DO go back and rewrite it, I might actually make those adjustments.)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They've found Anders hiding place. Everyone's on edge, and they've found a cave. Nothing could go wrong, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And since this is the final chapter, you can guess what happens here. Just a reminder, Anders DOES die, here. If you can't be mature about it, don't read further.

The entire group, including Nathaniel cradling his arm, sprinted toward the town gate. What they found when they arrived surprised them. Jasper and Carth had a young elven mage cornered. He couldn’t have been more than eighteen; Regan was guessing closer to fifteen or sixteen. He was pressed against the fence, as if he was trying to disappear _into_ the wood. His eyes were wide with fear and it sounded like he was whimpering.

Regan & Ruari went over to calm their respective mabari while the men started questioning the mage. One thing in the young man’s favor was that he hadn’t made any attempt to attack the group. He honestly looked scared to death. Of course, when you were surrounded by angry, weapon bearing men, most people would be scared. It turned out that _this_ mage wasn’t one of the herd that attacked; he’d been hiding in one of the outlying buildings because he didn’t _want_ to fight the strangers. Or, so he said.

“We can’t trust him,” Fenris growled, the lyrium markings in his skin already starting to glow. “He’ll just warn the abomination that we’re coming.”

“I’m pretty sure Anders already knows we’re close,” Nathaniel sighed, shaking his head. “I doubt he could miss the explosions and the fires and everything if he’s even remotely within earshot.”

“So what should we do with him?” Sebastian asked, stepping back so Regan and Ruari could make their way over. “It seems cruel to send him, alone, into the wilds. And I doubt he’d want to stay here, with the corpses of all his former companions.”

“Well, what does _he_ want to do?” Ruari asked, looking at the mage.

“I … I just want to go home,” the mage whispered, looking up at the woman with scared eyes. “I want to go back to the Circle … Ferelden’s Circle.” He nodded when they expressed surprise at his statement. “I didn’t want to leave in the first place. They made me think we were just on an outing … and then they killed the templar escorts and led us here. And then I got scared; I didn’t want the templars to think _I’d_ done it, but if I’d run away from them, I didn’t know how to get back and … “

“He’ll be lost or killed within a day if we just let him go alone,” Regan sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “And I really don’t want to lose any of our group to act as an escort.” She looked around, shuddering at the dead bodies littering the area. “And, honestly, I couldn’t imagine making someone wait _here_ for us to get back. So he’ll come with us. At best, if he knows any healing magic, we’ll have another healer around. At worst, Anders and Justice’ll think we have a hostage.” She looked over at the mage and smiled. “So what’s your name?”

“Aric,” he eventually replied, nervously.

She led him over to her horse and helped him up as everyone else mounted as well; Nathaniel helped Oghren and Finn climb aboard Enyo before mounting Ananke. Regan led Erebus to the front of the group and nudged him along, Jasper trotting along-side. Everyone fell in behind her and they made their way to a nearby set of caves. Regan’s spies had indicated that this was where the mage was hiding. The tensing of the mage sitting behind her also was a pretty good indicator. “When we get to the entrance, we’ll need to leave the horses behind.”

“Will they be safe?” Sebastian wondered, looking around. He wasn’t sure what beasts prowled the area, but he knew he didn’t want the horses to fall prey to them.

“We can leave the mabari to watch them again,” Ruari suggested, glancing at Regan. She didn’t think anything would be stupid enough to take on two mabari just for some horses.

“Sounds good,” Regan agreed. She had faith that Jasper and Carth could keep the horses safe. When they finally reached the caverns and secured the horses, the group slowly made their way inside.

“And here, I thought Anders hated being underground,” Ruari smirked, looking around. While she knew they weren’t in the Deep Roads, it certainly had that feel.

“Ugh, the Deep Roads are awful,” Regan grumbled, shaking her head. “No fresh air, no idea when days change, the smell of molten rock everywhere …”

“No good ale, either” Oghren added, much to everyone’s amusement. “Still surprised Wynne liked the dwarven swill.”

“Wait; that old mage we met in Amaranthine _liked_ dwarven ale?” Nathaniel gasped, shaking his head. He had been surprised enough to learn that the old woman had been a friend and traveling companion of Regan and Oghren’s once. But to hear she voluntarily drunk ale made by dwarves, with who-knows-what as ingredients just astounded him.

“Yes, she did,” Regan answered in a whisper. She motioned for everyone to quiet down and proceeded to skulk down the only viable trail; all the others had been caved in, somehow.

“Anyone else feel like we’re being led somewhere?” Fenris growled. The echo of his voice startled Regan, who had almost forgotten anyone else was with her. Ruari had to hide a smile; it was good to see their so-called leader acting like a normal person for once.

“Pretty sure we are,” Sebastian agreed, looking around. “Unfortunately, I do not see much in the way of other options.”

“Can we please just … hurry?” Finn muttered, moving closer to Regan. He _hated_ being underground. It reminded him a lot of the tower, and while he didn’t mind life in the Circle, at least that place had windows.

“Yes, please,” Aric whimpered, practically clinging to Finn. “I don’t like it here.” He had been surprised they hadn’t killed him; the woman with the templar abilities would have had no trouble. Heck, the only one who _might_ have had trouble taking him down was the other mage. He could fight, but he knew his limits, and he really _did_ want to just go home.

“We’ll be out of here as soon as we find who we’re looking for,” Nathaniel promised. “And then we’ll work on getting you back to Ferelden. I’m sure Regan here misses the castle.”

Regan turned around and stuck out her tongue. “Very funny, Nathaniel,” she growled. “Yes, I miss the castle. But I miss my husband more.” She turned back around and continued to sneak down the path, knowing Fenris was right. They were being led … directed somewhere. And it couldn’t be a good thing.

“Why are there no creatures?” Ruari wondered after rounding the twenty-first corner. Even in an uninhabited cave, she expected to see _something_ alive. All this silence was getting a little … unnerving. “Shouldn’t there at least be _something_? Spiders, maybe?”

“You _want_ to run into spiders?” Aric’s eyes widened as he stared at her. Why would anyone want to run into spiders?

“Not particularly,” Ruari admitted, shrugging. “But there should be something alive in this place, at any rate.”

“Unless Anders killed them all?” Sebastian suggested half-heartedly. He didn’t really believe it, but anything was possible, wasn’t it?

“Doubt it,” Oghren replied, looking around. “Ain’t found any traps yet either, have ya? No way ol’ sparkle-fingers would kill the things that’d protect him.”

Regan was surprised at the dwarf’s observation. There were times that she forgot he was a skilled leader of men, when he wasn't drinking. “He’s right. Anders would have found a way past them, unless they’re all hunkered down, further in.” That idea didn’t make her very happy, either. If all the creatures in the cavern were in one area, they’d be hard-pressed to survive. “No matter what, be ready for anything.”

A few more twists and turns went past, and then the group came upon an open area. The floor was covered in moss … and bones – a wide variety of bones littered the floor. Rocks scattered about the ground offered little cover from whatever had cleaned the bones of meat. And the only way to get through the place was directly across the open ground.

“Oh, this can’t be good,” Nathaniel grumbled, looking around. “I’m not so sure I want to meet whatever made that … mess.”

Ruari and Fenris froze. This place looked … familiar. Not this exact cave; neither one had ever been here before. But the layout was much like … “a lair,” Fenris whispered suddenly. “Remember, that day in the caves, with … Merrill?”

“Oh, right,” Ruari nodded. “When we were helping her do something stupid; which time was that?” She liked Merrill, really she did. But her obsession with that damnable mirror had become almost as annoying as Anders’ obsession with his manifesto and the mages. And her obsession with that mirror had gotten her keeper killed. But which time was Fenris talking about? When had they seen someplace like … “The varterral! Maker’s bloody breath!”

“A what?” Nathaniel repeated, looking over at them. He was suspicious of the path before them. It was too open, too perfectly clear. There had to be traps, or something. And those two were acting like they knew something.

“Varterral,” Sebastian answered, as everyone regrouped. “We faced one once or twice. It was … difficult; almost more difficult than facing a high dragon, I dare say.”

“Elven thing,” Aric added. “They say a varterral will never cease guarding something once it’s been ordered to; not even death can keep it from doing so. They also say that a varterral will only attack an elf in self-defense, but all other races are fair game.”

“Well, that means you and Fenris should be safe,” Regan muttered, looking back at the wide open area. “But the rest of us, not so much.” She looked over at Finn, curiously. “What was that thing we fought while looking for Morrigan, do you remember?”

“I … I think it was a varterral,” he replied nervously. That had been a very unpleasant fight and he really didn’t want to go through it again.

“I wonder how Anders got past it,” Regan wondered, frowning.

“Well, Velanna _did_ teach him some of her tricks,” Nathaniel reminded her. “Maybe that whole root-transport thing was one of them?”

“Maybe; or maybe it's guarding _him,_ ” she muttered, shaking her head. “At any rate, we’re going to _have_ to cross, and I’d like to keep everyone alive while doing so.”

Everyone agreed, so they put their heads together and came up with a sort of plan. Of course, it wasn’t a great plan. It wasn’t really much of a plan, either. It was more of a suggestion: run for your life and hope you don’t die. They sent Oghren out first; he’d volunteered, and with his shorter legs, he’d take the longest to get across. If the varterral attacked, they’d fight it off. That was really all they could do.

And then, Oghren was safely across, much to everyone’s surprise. So they sent the others across, either one at a time, or in the case of the two mages, two at a time. Finn and Aric made it across safely, then Nathaniel, then Sebastian, and even Ruari. Then it was just Regan and Fenris waiting to go. Despite the fact that everyone else had made it safely across, both knew it was only a matter of time, and since Fenris was an elf, it was far more likely to be her that drew the beast’s attention.

“What do you think? Alone or together?” Regan looked at the elf and did her best to hide the nervousness she felt. She knew good and well who was likely to draw the attention of the varterral. Absentmindedly, she reached up to run a finger around the edge of her ear and sighed. She didn’t wait for his answer; she drew in a breath and leapt over the stone protecting them, darting across the moss.

“Wait!” Fenris snarled, surprised. “What are you doing?!”

“Something stupid,” Regan laughed, just before slamming into a very large leg. She hit the ground hard, rolling out of the way just enough to miss the landing of yet another foot. Yes, this was definitely very stupid. She looked up just in time to see the varterral looking directly at her. Well, she figured it was looking at her anyway; it was facing her, at any rate. She just wasn’t certain where the eyes were. “Oh, shit,” she muttered, knowing there was no way she could move fast enough.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. She watched the creature’s mouth start to open. She heard the inhuman screeching. She heard Nathanial screaming her name. She found herself tucking into a ball, certain there was going to be that moment when she felt the burning sting of acid engulfing her. This was certainly not how she’d planned on going out. She’d always expected to head to the deep roads with Alistair for their Calling. It was silly, but they’d always promised they’d go together. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited. But nothing came.

Regan looked around, surprised to find herself encased in a protective shield. She’d seen mages occasionally put one of these fields around themselves, but had never had one used on her. She could do little but watch as Nathaniel and Sebastian fired arrows at the creature, and Fenris, Ruari, and Oghren ran out to draw it away. When the beast was sufficiently far away, the protective shield disappeared and she dove into the fray. It was a long fight, with several blades flying around and arrows embedding themselves into spindly legs and magic blasts exploding all around. But, eventually, the varterral was down and the group sped further into the caves, happy to leave the clearing behind them.

“Thanks for the help, Finn,” Regan sighed, slumping against the wall once she felt they were safe. “I was sure Nate was going to have to tell Alistair I wouldn’t be joining him for our Calling.”

“It wasn’t me,” Finn replied, shrugging. He would have, if he hadn’t been so bloody frightened. When she looked surprised, he pointed at the only other magic user.

“Aric?” Everyone was surprised. Sure, they’d left him unchained and unrestrained, but he actually _helped_ them. Regan smiled widely at the young elf and extended her hand, pulling him into a hug. “Well, then; thank you for keeping me alive, Aric.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said quietly, blushing as he looked away. He had considered not helping. Letting the varterral kill their leader might have made it possible to escape, but where would he have gone? They could have killed him back on the surface. When they caught him trying to sneak away, they would have had no problem killing him. But they didn’t. And, in truth, they were _nice_ ; much nicer than the mages who had taken him from Kinloch Hold.

They continued down the corridors much more carefully from that point on. No one was sure they could handle another varterral run-in. Luckily, nothing else seemed to jump out at them. The remainder of the trail was clear, save for a few rodents scurrying away, into the dark. “That’s not a good sign,” Sebastian whispered, watching the creatures run. “I think we’re getting …”

“Close,” several of the companions whispered together, seeing another large expanse of a room open up before them. The wall shone with torches and crystals, the light from the former bouncing off the latter, creating magnificent patterns across the rock. There was a stream or creek that ran across the floor, disappearing between large boulders in the distance. And sitting on a rock, near the water, with his back to them, was Anders.

After much discussion, it was decided that a few of the group – Regan, Ruari, Nathaniel, and Sebastian, would sneak into the room, spreading out to have the mage mostly surrounded. Finn, Aric, Fenris, and Oghren would remain where they were, waiting for some sort of signal. None of the ones left were very happy about it, but they also knew they had no training in sneaking about. Oghren, especially, was not one for remaining hidden. And the lyruim markings in Fenris’ skin made hiding in the dark all but impossible. So, they waited.

Everyone was in position. The four rogues formed a sort of square around the possessed mage. Each held a vial of ‘smoke’, a special mixture that Zevran had taught Regan how to make ages ago. It would create a simple smokescreen, obscuring everything from view for a couple minutes. It wouldn’t last long, but they hoped it would be long enough. As one, they each threw the vials in front of them, surrounding Anders with a sort of smoke ring.

She could hear him calling out, asking who was there. She knew he’d have his staff in hand by now; he would have grabbed it and moved into some sort of fighting position as soon as the smoke started to form. She waited a heartbeat, then another, and finally stepped into the smoke, pulling the small dagger she’d had Sandal enchant before leaving the Hawke estate. It was a silly little thing, barely more than a child’s first blade, but with the lightning runes, it created an impressive arc of electricity around her, and Regan was all about the show right then.

Everyone watched as the queen disappeared into the smoke, following her progress by watching the lightning. They just had to wait for her signal. Well, that, and hope she was right.

“I had hoped it wouldn’t be you,” Anders finally said as Regan came out of the smoke. “I had hoped you would just let me die in peace.”

“You really think you deserve that, Anders?” Regan asked, walking up until she was within his reach. It was a risk, but if she was going to need to counteract his magic, she had to be up close. “You think, after everything you’ve done, you deserve to be left alone?” She fought to keep her voice steady. She had a plan, a particular order in which she wanted to bring things to light. She’d always had a plan, and most of the group knew and understood. She wasn’t sure Aric had ever been filled in, since he was a … recent, unexpected addition, but the others were well versed in their parts. It was one of the things she’d learned while helping Alistair rule: you always needed a plan, and a backup and a backup to the backup.

“Why didn’t you tell me the Wardens made you give up Pounce?” She waited, arms crossed over her chest; the dagger tucked just enough into her belt. When he didn’t answer, she went on. “I would have talked to them. Maker’s breath, you idiot, I could have gotten the First Warden to change his mind. The man’s not a complete fool, most of the time.” She started pacing, ranting about things that happened years ago, things she’d wanted to get off her chest for years. “We were _friends_ , Anders. I would have done almost anything to help you. We were going to request that the First Warden allow you to come to the castle, but you … disappeared.” She dropped her hands to her sides, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. She had a plan; just stick to the plan.

“We tried to find you, to act as the royal healer, give you a place outside the duties of the wardens, but you’d gone, without so much as a word to your _friends_.” Her tone turned icy, her gaze went cold. She could see the shock and hurt in his eyes, but that didn’t matter. She could also see the cracks forming in his restraint; Justice was trying to take control again. Justice didn’t like emotion. She was pretty sure Justice didn’t like her much, either.

“You turned your back on the ones who’d risked their necks to save you.” She clenched her hands into fists, taking a breath. “I could have left you to the templars that first day, let them hang you in the courtyard. I could have left you to them when we were hunting for your phylactery. But I didn’t. And _this_ is how you repay me?” She gestured wildly around, encompassing Maker-knew-what. “Do you know what your actions have done? Do you know who you have hurt? Do you even care?”

Anders opened his mouth to try and say … something. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. She was right, about a lot of it. He could have gone to her at any time, before giving Justice another body. He could have gone even after, before Justice had become some twisted form inside him. But before he could say anything, she went on.

“And _you_ , Justice; don’t think I don’t know you’re in there too.” She really wished there was a way to split them, so she had a second body to yell at. Yelling at Justice while looking at Anders was just … weird for her. “You _knew_ you could have come to me, too! We helped you in the Fade. We could have just as easily ignored you and those villagers, joined the Baroness, and come back without you. It’s what Anders wanted to do in the first place.” Ah, there was her anger again, making it much easier to just rant. “You _knew_ there were options to help you both, and you just … left.”

She watched as the man in front of her started to glow, streaks of shining … something … appearing across his face. A small part of her was scared, and she was pretty sure Justice … Vengeance … whoever he was, knew it. But she was the Hero of Ferelden, the Warden-Commander, _and_ the bloody Queen of Ferelden. She could control her own fear easily enough; she’d been doing it for years. And she was just getting started. “And then you _both_ had to go and blow up the Chantry in Kirkwall.”

Finally, the first signal; Nathaniel slowly moved around the boulder he’d been behind, keeping a ready grip on his bow. Regan didn’t look back, trusting her childhood friend to play his part well. “Do you know that your actions didn’t _just_ kill Kirkwall’s Grand Cleric? You didn't just kill nameless people. Do you understand that?” She reached into a small pouch at her belt and pulled out a locket. It was a small thing, much simpler than anything a queen would normally have. She clenched the bauble tightly, glaring at Anders … Justice … Vengeance. “You killed a little boy’s mother and father. You ripped away the only parents an innocent ten-year-old boy knew. You killed that boy’s _baby sister_. You killed _innocents_.”

Everyone was on edge. Even from a distance, they could see Anders fighting with himself. The air around him seemed to glow, and Ruari knew that meant Justice was forcing his way to the surface, taking over control. But it looked like Anders was fighting it, for once. All it would take was one flare up, one attack from the mage and all that planning was out the window. They knew the fallback plan was for everyone to attack. With this many blades and bows, _someone_ would be able to take him out.

“There … there were no innocents in Kirkwall,” Anders finally croaked out, sounding a little like himself and a little like the spirit. “No one, not even Hawke, was innocent in Kirkwall.” Everyone in that Maker-forsaken city had been guilty of something. Everyone had either turned to blood magic, thought about it, or conspired to kill mages. There was no one innocent that lived in Kirkwall.

“They didn’t live in Kirkwall, but they were there,” Regan snapped, stopping just short of flinging the locket in her hands at him. “They were there, praying for her brother to make it safely out of the Deep Roads. They were there so he could _finally_ see the nephew he hadn’t yet met, because he had been sent out after a missing Grey Warden mage just before the boy was born. They were there so he could meet his new niece, who’d only been born a few months prior.” She finally looked back at Nathaniel and held out the locket. It had been the only thing the crews could find in the wreckage that wasn’t smashed beyond recognition.

“They were in Kirkwall waiting for me,” he said quietly, gripping his sister’s locket in his hand. “The First Warden sent me after you when you disappeared, Anders.” He moved to stand next to Regan, his eyes filled with sadness. He’d actually considered the mage a friend by the time Regan had returned to court. But then he’d left. “I tried to track you down, but I’m no templar, and we destroyed your phylactery, so there was only so much my tracking skills could do. I missed the birth of my sister’s son trying to find you. Eventually, the First Warden sent me on other missions, into the Deep Roads, several times.”

There was the second signal. Ruari and Sebastian crept out from their positions as well, moving to stand on the other side, directly across from the first two. It was a pairing that made sense, in a manner of speaking: one archer, one bladeswoman. “You remember running into him in the Deep Roads, don’t you, Anders?” Ruari asked, watching him carefully. She had to be ready for anything. “His sister was the one who sent us to the Deep Roads to find him.”

“Delilah always worried,” Nathaniel sighed, tucking the locket into a pocket. He would send it to the boy as soon as he could. “She and Arthur had come to the Chantry to pray for a speedy return,” Regan took a step toward the mage as Nathaniel spoke. He looked as though he couldn’t believe what they were saying. “We had arranged to meet outside the Chantry as soon as I returned. I was … too late.”

“The boy was barely alive when they got him out,” Sebastian said quietly. “When I stormed off, after Hawke refused to kill you, I … I went to help where I could, looking for survivors. The boy was the only one we found.” He fought the urge to attack right then and there. He knew there was a plan, and soon Elthina’s death would be avenged; he just had to wait. “He was so badly hurt, and scared; spent hours calling for parents that would never come.”

“What is this?” Vengeance growled, taking control of Anders. “Why do you insist on parading this mob from the past in front of us? It will do you no good.”

“I know,” Regan said simply, sadness replacing her icy stare. “It was too much to hope that _you_ would understand, Justice. You’ve become corrupted, and you never did understand a family’s love. As much as this is Anders’ doing, it’s yours as well. I wanted _Anders_ to know that you both hurt people who had nothing to do with your idealistic statement. You hurt innocents. You hurt _my friends_. And that is something I cannot forgive.”

Anders didn’t know what was going on. He still hadn’t managed to speak more than the once; he could barely manage to regain control of himself. He didn’t know what he _could_ say. He was surrounded by the people who had once called him a friend; even Sebastian had been civil to him, once. And they were all looking at him like he was dangerous. He _was_ dangerous, wasn’t he? He was a mage, dammit. He had not only his power, but the added abilities Justice, no, Vengeance gave him. He didn’t have to take this, did it? He started collecting power, trying to keep it hidden. It would take so little to get rid of them all and keep himself safe.

“He’s getting ready to cast!” Aric’s worried voice echoed in the room as he and Finn recognized the familiar tingle coming from his direction. He’d had no idea what Anders had done in Kirkwall. He just knew the other mages had looked at the man as their leader. He was just along for the ride, and he wanted off this crazy wagon.

“Not if I can help it,” she growled, hoping there was enough lyrium running through her for one more shot. And then, she let loose, clearing the area of any magic he might have already cast, or been close to finishing. She reached out and grabbed the mage by the collar of his tunic, lifting him off his feet, making sure part of her fingers stayed in contact with his skin. Those among the group that had never traveled with her looked stunned that a _woman_ could lift a grown man like that. Nathaniel, Oghren and Finn just watched, ready to leap in if needed. “The Anders I knew would never be okay with hurting innocent people, especially people close to his friends. You took a friend from me, and worse, you took _family_ from someone I care about; someone I _thought_ you cared about.” She threw him to the ground, surprising everyone.

“What … what did you do?” Anders gasped, barely able to move. He’d never seen her do such a thing before. It had even driven Justice back, giving him control again. She shouldn’t have been able to do that. The only people he knew that could drain mana like that were the templars.

“My husband taught me a few things. You remember him, right; the King of Ferelden and a former templar? I know you don’t like Sebastian and don’t care that you took someone important to him,” she said, starting to walk away. “But you _always_ said you cared about me, and until that day, I believed you, and believed that saving you from the templars was the right thing to do.” She stopped and turned to look back at him, eyes shooting daggers at him. “I should have let Rylock take you.”

And there it was; the final signal. It had never been decided who would make the final strike against him. Regan always knew that she couldn’t, unless he forced the issue. Her damnable honor got in the way, every time. It was just like the fight with Loghain; once he was disarmed, she couldn’t kill him. She kept walking, feeling a tightness in her chest that wouldn’t go away. Her friend was long gone, she knew that. But it didn’t make it any easier. And she didn’t want to know who ended it. She just walked toward Oghren, Aric and Finn as Fenris darted past her.

“It’s over,” Nathaniel sighed, coming up behind her and resting a hand on her shoulder. “I … I thought it would feel … different.” He had watched as Fenris had skidded to a halt in front of the mage, then plunged his hand into the mage’s chest, slowly stilling his heart. He watched the life fade from Anders’ eyes, a little sad. He had avenged his sister and her family and would be able to tell his nephew as much. He just thought it would feel … better.

She reached out for his hand, wanting nothing more than to be away from all this. It gave her no pleasure to have a friend killed. But before she could reply, a loud noise echoed through the cavern, knocking those companions closest to the mage back. A voice, unfamiliar to more than half the group, sent chills down her spine. “You will pay for that, mortal!”

“Looks like he’s not done yet,” Oghren growled, finally charging. He’d waited, surprisingly patient as he guarded the mages. But now that Regan and Nathaniel were close, and the spirit seemed to decide it wasn’t ready to abandon Anders’ body, he didn’t want to wait any longer. He drove in, battle axe swinging in a wide arc, barely missing his companions. But it connected with the body the spirit still inhabited, nearly slicing it in two. That distraction was enough to give the others time to regroup and attack. Fenris and Ruari’s blades struck home just as Sebastian’s arrows embedded themselves in the corpse’s throat and head.

“I think it’s time we send _Justice_ back to the Fade, don’t you?” Regan murmured, finally turning to face the battle. When Nathaniel nodded, she drew her crossbow and sighed. “Vials?”

Nathaniel pulled out two small vials of strange liquid. He handed one to Regan and they both poured the solution onto the heads of several arrows. “Think it’ll work?” he asked, glancing at the mages. Finn had been the one to help make the things, so surely he had an opinion.

“I … hope so?” the mage hedged. He’d learned of the mixture in one of the many books he’d read in the tower, but trusting his memory as to the preparation made him nervous. He wasn’t sure he had gotten everything right. “We’ll just … be over here, hiding. Just in case.”

“It’ll work, Nate,” Regan said, more confidently than she felt. It had to work.

The pair steadied themselves and aimed their weapons. They waited for a clear shot, then fired simultaneously. As their projectiles flew, they reloaded and launched again and again, sending a small barrage of dosed arrows at the body. Every shot connected, and as the last bolt embedded in its target, a bright flash of light exploded, blinding everyone. When everyone could finally see, they found the finally lifeless body of Anders crumpled at their feet, and several injured friends.

“What do we do with his body?” Ruari asked quietly. She hadn’t planned on feeling bad about the outcome, but she still found herself mourning the loss. “We can’t just leave it here, can we?”

“We burn it,” Regan answered quietly. She’d known they would have to dispose of the corpse; she couldn’t leave it lying around for another spirit or demon to find. And, truthfully, she didn’t want to leave her friend behind, either. She owed the old Anders that much, at least.

“We can’t do that here,” Nathaniel pointed out. There was nothing in the cavern that would burn well enough to make a pyre. “We’ll have to carry, or drag, him out.”

“Um, if I may,” Aric stepped forward, looking nervous. “I … I can cast a fire spell, if you’d rather do it here?” He wasn’t sure they’d want him to use his magic here … not after all that.

“Might be safer,” Oghren agreed, wiping the blood from his axe. “No chance of anything decidin’ to take him over while we’re haulin’ him out.”

Regan looked over at the dwarf, surprised. “You know, Oghren,” she laughed, shaking her head. “Sometimes, you surprise me.” She looked at the others, then back at Aric and nodded. “We’ll do it here. And then we’ll cave in the place. I want there to be no chance of anyone finding anything that might contain any remnant of Justice, or Anders.”

And so, the group stood silently around the body of their friend as Aric sent a blast of fire at the body. Every time the flames appeared to be going out, he sent another blast. Eventually, all that was left of the mage was ash, which Regan, Ruari, and Nathaniel each scooped into separate pouches. The plan was to dispose of the ashes in locations Anders had seemed happy, at least for a time – Amaranthine and Kirkwall. Regan would take the third pouch to Ferelden, where she felt he _would_ have been happy, had he gotten the chance.

The mood was somber as the group made their way out of the cavern. Ruari clung to Fenris as they walked, silent tears streaking down her cheeks. She never thought about how it would feel to actually kill someone she considered a friend, even after everything he’d done. But it was over. He was dead, and they were going back to Kirkwall.

Sebastian was a few steps behind them, silent as well. He had come along to ensure the Grand Cleric’s murder was avenged, and he had done so. So why did he feel so … conflicted? He could return to Starkhaven and continue his attempt to retake his throne. And this time, he would have Ferelden soldiers to assist him. That was part of what convinced him to come with Regan in the first place. She wouldn’t be able to spare a _lot_ of soldiers, but she promised they would send some. And if they were half as talented as she was, it would be enough.

Oghren, Finn, and Aric fell into step behind the Starkhaven prince. Of everyone, the recent events seemed to have the least effect on the dwarf. He was quieter than usual, but still didn’t seem too bothered. And after a few ales, he wouldn’t care. Finn was also silent, which _was_ a change for him. He had just seen someone that had been nearly a legend in Kinloch Hold possessed by a demon … spirit … thing, then killed, and killed a second time. And poor Aric; he didn’t know what to think. The same people who had helped him, kept him alive, had just killed another mage. But, was he really _just_ a person? He had been possessed, hadn’t he? He was an abomination. Aric didn’t want to end up like that. He just wanted to go home.

Regan and Nathaniel brought up the rear, side by side. Nathaniel clutched his sister’s locket tightly. It was all he had, all Bryce had, to remember them by, now. He would travel to Highever once they were out, briefly; bring it to the boy. Maybe the Wardens would consider releasing him from his duties for a while. Maybe he could get Regan to talk to them; they liked her, didn’t they?

“I need a favor, Nate.” Regan’s voice was soft, almost sad. “I need you to find Pounce. I know Anders had to get rid of him. Ruari said he claims to have given him to someone in Amaranthine.” She knew that the cat was important, somehow. She owed her friend that much. After everything she’d said and done, after that last comment, she knew she owed the _real_ Anders. “I want that cat.”

“Alright,” he replied just as quietly. “But I need to ask a favor of you as well.” When she prompted him to go on, he sighed. “I need the Wardens to release me, for a while, anyway. Bryce has no one, now; no one but me. I … I need to take care of him.”

“You want me to … convince the First Warden that you are needed elsewhere?” she asked with a half-smile. Even now, it was amusing to see how much influence her friends _thought_ she had over the leader of the Wardens. But then again, she _did_ seem to have a knack for getting what she wanted out of the man. As her long-time friend nodded, she draped an arm over his shoulder and smiled. “I’ll do my best. Now, let’s get you home to your nephew.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: How did a rogue like Regan Cousland manage to learn any templar abilities? I pictured Regan as having been trained as a warrior (sword & shield) for many years before deciding she preferred dual blades and started sneaking around to find people to teach her, therefore she could (and would) have the discipline Alistair says is required. Alistair started teaching her during the Blight; he only taught her TWO tricks – an area cleanse and draining mana. Unfortunately, the only way Regan can drain mana is by touch, whereas I picture real templars being able to do so at a distance. Regan doesn’t necessarily have to drink lyrium to perform the abilities (as Alistair said, lyrium just makes those abilities stronger). She only drinks it if she feels she will a) need a boost to take on something powerful or b) run the risk of needing to use either ability more than once within a couple days’ time. Therefore, she’s only used it … well, twice, including here. (As I said above, this story was written before some of the lore regarding lyrium was readily available, so some things may not hold true any longer. If I DO go back and rewrite it, I might actually make those adjustments.)  
> (Yes, I know this note was in the last chapter too, but I figured it couldn't hurt to say it again.)

**Author's Note:**

> This ended up getting broken into chapters when I decided to post it here, because it's kind of long and it was easier than doing weird lines to break things up in places.


End file.
